


This is Nice

by CarvcrEdlund



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Archangel Fam, Archangels, But I don't want to spoil the end, Hallucinations, Happy Gabriel, Happy Lubriel, Happy Lucifer, Lucifer-centric, M/M, Sad Lucifer, Sex off-camera, So I won't, The Cage, i want to tag more, sadfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 06:53:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8361847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarvcrEdlund/pseuds/CarvcrEdlund
Summary: Lucifer has issues with telling reality from fantasy.





	

This is nice.

Lucifer thinks quietly to himself as he reclines on the throne of Hell. Demons scurry to and fro around the room, all afraid to make eye contact with him.

He thinks fondly of how he got here, stowing away with Sam’s body as Castiel dragged him up from the cage. Disguising himself as Sam’s soul and then ditching as soon as they got out.

Michael’s angry shouts had gone completely unnoticed. Much as his had gone for millennia upon millennia. Ha, looks like the tables have turned, big brother!

With Michael gone, the Winchesters divided, and Raphael running Heaven, taking the world is going to be a piece of cake.

. . . Whenever he gets around to it.

For now, he’s content to gather his forces, sending his demon children to gather all his weapons and various artefacts from his crypts. He’s decided that he’s going to take his time while he’s still got the element of surprise. He’ll gather his forces, grant his strongest and most loyal demons strength beyond what they’d normally have, creating new knights of Hell to replace the ones Cain killed off. There are rumours that one of them remains, so he’d very much like to find her before he makes his siege on Heaven.

His demons have expressed their displeasure with his lack of action thus far, all except for Crowley. Crowley, with whom Lucifer never thought he’d get along. But wonders never cease, it seems. He’d tracked down Crowley first, with the full intention of killing the bastard and getting him out of the way.

But then Crowley proposed a deal that even the devil couldn’t refuse.

Lucifer must admit, he’s not too familiar with the ways of Hell and Earth anymore. And since his strategy of just ‘attacking everything head-on’ didn’t work the first time, Crowley’s suggestion of another strategy gave him pause.

So now Crowley, ex-punk crossroads demon, and now ex-king of Hell, is his commander in chief of the legions of Hell. And he’s a damn good one.

Lucifer gave him a power boost and one of his holy weapons, and Crowley gave him a hand of God. Lucifer thinks it was a pretty good deal. Crowley’s mostly just glad that he’s not dead, and the higher-than-Knight of Hell status is a nice plus, too.

So far, so good, in Lucifer’s book. They’re making great progress. Heaven won’t know what hit them.

And then there’s Gabriel.

His slippery little brother, who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and got himself captured by the devil for it.

Lucifer couldn’t quite believe his eyes when he saw the younger archangel, trapped neatly within a circle of holy fire, wrapped up like a present, just for him. Crowley was the one who caught him spying and laid the trap for Lucifer’s favourite little brother.

Lucifer gave Crowley another energy boost, and then sent all his demons away. This is a conversation he wished to have alone.

They watched each other for a long moment before speaking at the same time.

“How?” They both ask, confusion layered in their voices.

Gabriel answered first. “You didn’t teach me everything I know. The pagans sure know how to put on a light show.” He eyes his brother expectantly, waiting for Lucifer’s explanation.

“Castiel. Hitched a ride out with Sam.” The devil answers, staring incredulously as his presumed-dead little brother. “But. . . I felt you die. It was so real. How. . . ?”

The younger shakes his head. “ You saw what I wanted you to see. Helloooo, _trickster_.”

Lucifer frowns slightly, recalling the moment and attempting to determine if he might have been wrong. Oh God, he hopes he was wrong.

Gabriel’s voice draws him back to the present. “Soo. . . Am I just supposed to stand here and look pretty, or are we gonna kickbox. . . ? What’s it gonna be, Luci?”

“Neither.” The devil responds, almost too quickly. “I don’t wish to fight you, brother.” Not again, he thinks. He can’t kill Gabriel again. “But before I can set you free, I have a proposal for you.”

“I’m listening.” The younger responds, sounding kind of skeptical.

A second passes, and Lucifer collects his thoughts. “Stay with me. Michael is locked away, and I don’t wish to fight him, you, or Raphael. I have a plan. I will make Hell strong, and I will take Heaven back. If Raphael’s smart, he won’t go to war with us. I will make the world the utopia it should have always been. Join me, Gabriel. Help me create peace on Earth.”

The younger Archangel doesn’t look very much taken with the idea. “Peace on Earth, Lucifer? What does that mean to you? The death of humanity?”

“. . . No.” Lucifer eventually answers, speaking softly to sell the lie. “I was wrong about humans. It’s not their fault they are the way they are. I only wish to give Eden back to them, to end the suffering and return things to the way they were. I wish to right my wrongs. Will you help me, Gabriel?”

Silence met his answer, and Lucifer could tell Gabriel was filtering his words through his bullshit-detector. Finally, the younger releases a sigh. “Father help me, but yes. You’re probably lying. . . but on the off-chance that you aren’t, I’d rather be with you than against you.”

A grin splits Lucifer’s face, and the flames surrounding Gabriel die down as he strides towards him. “You won’t regret giving me another chance, little brother.”

Gabriel meets his embrace with first surprise, and then acceptance, hugging back with gusto. Lucifer doesn’t remember the last time he was this close to a sibling without the threat of battle hanging between them, and he finds he never wants to let go.

\- - -

His demons questioned his decision to bring Gabriel into their plans at first, but they stopped questioning after Lucifer smote his head advisor for it.

Gabriel spent much of his time in the throne room, chatting and catching up with his brother, the two of them talking to each other for hours at a time in their native tongue. Crowley acted as his regent in these times, and the demon couldn’t be happier about it.

This is nice.

He thinks again, as Gabriel sprawls across his lap on the throne, lazily humming an old hymn to himself. As Gabriel reaches up to run his fingers through his vessel’s hair, causing Lucifer to shut his eyes in contentment. As Gabriel tells him he’s still beautiful, even after all he’s gone through.

And Lucifer can’t help himself. He can’t resist the temptation, and he doesn’t want to.

The devil ducks down with the speed of a striking snake, and catches Gabriel’s lips with his own.

Gabriel stiffens at first, caught off guard and surprised by his brother’s actions, but soon melts into the kiss, aborting his hymn in favour of groaning up into his elder brother’s lips.

Gabriel tastes like sugar and stardust.

Lucifer is immediately addicted to him, and they don’t pull away from each other for several moments. (It’s not as if they need to breathe, anyways.)

It’s Gabriel who pulls away first, starlight in his honey-golden eyes as he looks up at his brother. “Jesus, Luci. Where did _that_ come from?”

The elder runs a hand through his brother’s tousled locks fondly. “You must ask, my dear brother? I have always loved you.”

“I mean, yeah, ditto, but—” Lucifer shuts him up with another kiss.

Gabriel doesn’t ask again, and Lucifer doesn’t ask when his brother began to feel the same way. They spend the rest of the day chatting idly and trading lazy kisses with one another.

And it’s nice.

\- - -

This is nice.

Lucifer thinks once more, as he and Gabriel chase each other through the stars, around and around the Milky Way. He catches his little brother, wrapping his arms around the giggling blonde before pecking his lips and flying off himself.

The siege on Heaven is in the back of his mind, for right now he’s more than content to simply enjoy his lively and loving brother; the only family he’s got left who’s willing to accept him.

“Lucifer!”

The devil’s elated grin falters as he hears Michael’s voice, of all things, in the midst of this perfect moment. He comes to a halt, looking around himself at the blackness of space, and the endless darkness becomes the cage’s darkness for a fleeting second.

He remains frozen in place, until Gabriel barrels straight into him, and they go spinning off, only stopping when they crash-land on a nearby planet.

They’re forced apart, and the first thing Lucifer does is look for where Gabriel landed. He sees his brother sprawled out, his back on the ground, and for a second Lucifer isn’t on the surface of some random planet, he’s in the Elysian Fields hotel, and his brother is dead, wings burned into the ground behind his motionless body.

The image is broken when Gabriel sits up, grinning and shaking out his wind-swept hair as he gets to his feet. Lucifer can’t forget it though, and he buries his head in his hands, shaking it in an attempt to get rid of the image.

“Lucifer?”

It’s just Gabriel’s voice, that’s all he heard. He just imagined Michael’s voice before, and the knowledge comforts him. He looks up from his hands and into his little brother’s concerned features.

The eyes that he so clearly remembers losing their light as his life drained from his body.

Lucifer’s vision is warped by tears for a second. “Gabriel, tell me again, how did you survive?”

“I already told you, silly.” Gabriel still looks concerned, kneeling by his elder brother and putting a hand on his cheek. “You didn’t kill me, it was just another copy.”

Something about the explanation bothers him, but Lucifer nods slowly, accepting it anyways. “Of course. Yes, I remember.”

“Mhm.” The younger offers him a smile, then pecks his lips quickly. “Tag, you’re it.”

And Lucifer’s doubts are forgotten as he takes off to chase after the laughing angel.

\- - -

The bed was Gabriel’s idea. His brother and his silly human notions, insisting that if they’re going to lay together, they at least do it with class.

Lucifer isn’t complaining, though.

They’ve done little more than lay beside one another and talk of better times. Lucifer spends much of the idle conversation playing with his brother’s floppy hair, enjoying the way the strands of it feel between his fingers. Neither is wearing anything but the content smile on their faces, and Gabriel’s giving all his attention to the lines of Lucifer’s lean abdominal muscles.

This is nice.

This is _really_ nice.

Lucifer hums to himself, pulling Gabriel up to give him a long, loving kiss. Gabriel moans into it, pressing his slighter body flush against Lucifer’s.

“Lucifer?”

The elder starts, pulling away from Gabriel suddenly as he hears Michael’s voice once again.

“Lucifer?” Or thinks he does. Gabriel asks his name again, pulling Lucifer from his troubled thoughts. He just imagined it. Of course. “Are you okay, Luci?”

Gabriel is so close to him, face just inches from his own. He blinks, and the concerned look becomes one of pain, betrayal, and sorrow. He blinks again, and the concerned look is back.

What’s wrong with him?

“I’m . . . I’m fine.” Lucifer takes a second to calm himself, so Gabriel won’t worry. He shuts his eyes, and when he re-opens them the scene that greets him nearly gives him a heart attack.

Gabriel’s face is full of agony, and his hands are flying down to his stomach, where. . .

Where Lucifer has buried Gabriel’s sword into his brother.

“Lucifer, why. . .?” The younger chokes out, pain melting into betrayal.

“No!” Lucifer cries out, throwing the weapon away and collecting his brother into his arms, holding him close and pressing his palm to the wound, trying pointlessly to heal it. “No! Not again!” The elder chokes on a sob, expecting the horrible bright light of his brother’s grace.

It never comes. Gabriel pulls away from him, giving him a wide-eyed, confused look. “Luci, what’s wrong?”

The wound is gone. Gabriel’s chest remains smooth, unmarked, unbroken. Lucifer releases a sigh of relief, but his nerves are still on edge. “Gabriel. You’re not dead. How are you not dead?”

This receives a confused laugh. “We’ve been over this, brother. I didn’t bring my real sword. What you stabbed me with was a glorified soup can. Remember?”

“I. . .” Lucifer frowns, feeling like something’s off. “But the light, your wings. . .”

“I’m really good at arts and crafts.” Gabriel smiles at him, running a hand through Lucifer’s hair. “You believed the sword was real, right?”

The devil hesitates. “I. . . yes.”

“Mmm.” The younger archangel hums softly, leaning down to kiss Lucifer’s collarbone. “And I’m here right now, aren’t I? Obviously I’m not dead. Relax, bro.”

After a moment, and a few more kisses trailed along his neck and shoulder, Lucifer finally hums in agreement, letting his worries melt away. “You’re right. It’s stupid, but I could’ve sworn I saw you just. . . It’s nothing. Just my mind playing tricks on me.”

“Well, that’s not very nice of it.” Gabriel smiles against his skin, and then pulls himself up, swinging a leg over Lucifer and straddling his waist. “I guess I’ll just have to make you forget all about that, won’t I?”

And oh, did he ever.

\- - -

 Months after his escape from the Cage, and the siege on Heaven is all but forgotten in the back of Lucifer’s mind.

He spends hardly any of his time in Hell now, electing to instead pass his time with his brother, laughing and enjoying one another’s company. Lucifer wouldn’t have thought this is how he’d prefer to use his freedom, but he doesn’t regret a second of it.

It’s nice.

For now, Gabriel is off on his own, advocating Lucifer’s plan to the pagans, as he insisted Lucifer let him do. There’s very little Lucifer wouldn’t give his little brother, now.

In fact, he’s considering even doing just as he told Gabriel he would.

Lucifer contemplates these thoughts as he once more lounges on his throne, enjoying the quiet of his empty throne room.

His eyes fall shut, blackness taking over his sight as he envisions a world of peace, a world in which he and Gabriel can be free to enjoy their days by each other’s sides, without a care or worry in the world.

And it’s nice.

Lucifer lets his head fall back, allowing his thoughts to fill with plans and dreams for the future. He drifts off, letting his daydreams overtake his mind.

“Lucifer! Wake up!”

Lucifer jumps to his feet, frantically looking around the empty room as Michael’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. He spins in a circle, looking for the source of the voice, and coming up short.

“Lucifer!” The voice echoes around him, somehow sounding both clear and muffled at once.

He doesn’t know where it’s coming from. He can’t find the source.

Lucifer covers his ears with the palms of his hands. “Shut up!”

“Lucifer, you have to wake up!” This time the voice is much clearer, and when Lucifer re-opens his eyes, Michael is standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been asleep too long, brother. Wake up.”

“No, no.” Lucifer backs away, shaking his head furiously. “You’re not real.”

“No, I’m not. None of this is.” Michael’s voice is sad as he answers, following Lucifer until the younger is backed into a corner. “Stop torturing yourself with these lies, brother. Wake up.”

“But, Gabriel. . .”

“Is dead.” Comes the harsh response, Michael’s voice cold and unforgiving. “No matter how much you regret your actions, he is dead by your hand, and you can’t change it. Now wake up.”

Lucifer ducks his head, shaking it in denial. He can’t have imagined all this. It’s all too real. He can’t. . .

Lucifer opens his eyes, feeling Michael shaking him by the shoulders. The throne room is gone, and in its place is the endless blackness of the cage. He pushes away from his elder brother, purely on instinct.

Michael sighs in relief, and then shakes his head at the younger. “Thank Father above. I almost thought I’d lost you. You zoned out, you weren’t responding to anything.”

Lucifer looks around at his prison, his heart sinking as he realizes he never _left_. Tears sting his eyes as he realizes that everything he’d done, everything he and Gabriel had said and shared with one another, it was all a lie. Just another torment created by his cage.

Gabriel is really, truly dead.

“Lucifer?” Michael sounds vaguely concerned, but mostly confused. “What happened?”

The devil quickly wipes away his tears, angry with himself for showing weakness in front of his elder brother. He collects himself, and quickly levels Michael with a glare. “None of your fucking business.”

And just like that, Lucifer puts his steel walls back up, the ones that Gabriel pulled down slowly, little by little, day by day. Lucifer shields himself from Michael, putting up layer after layer of sarcasm and biting insults between them.

An hour later, Michael is no longer interested in what could make his ass of a younger brother so upset. Lucifer can keep rotting in Hell like he’s been doing, for all he cares.

And silently, Lucifer mourns. He mourns for his little brother, the one he’d do just about anything to have back. He mourns, and he waits.

**Author's Note:**

> I lied. This is not nice.
> 
> Apparently, I'm incapable of writing happy things. ;-;
> 
> Comment?


End file.
